Eremika One-shots
by PrincessOfTheNight93
Summary: A place for all my Eremika one-shots, varying from early childhood to post-series. Ratings vary from K to M, see each individual chapter for details. Recent: I Love You - Mikasa has to cope with Eren's death and raising three children alone.
1. Heartbeat

**Pair:** Eremika (brother-sister)

**Setting:** Canon universe, the night Eren first met Mikasa

**Summary:** Eren tries to comfort Mikasa while she deal with the fresh horrors of her lost family

**Rating:** K

Eren woke up to the beginning beams of the new day's sunlight. By the look of it, it was still early, perhaps around seven, but he still felt himself consumed by exhaustion. He sat up, rubbing his eyes, when he heard a new sound, different from the early morning Shiganshina commute through his open bedroom window: a soft, pitiful, heartbreaking sound. He frowned as he recalled the events of last night, and gently moved the blanket off of the person in the bed next to him.

"Mikasa?" he asked softly. Mikasa turned her beautiful black eyes, striking against the china-colored whiteness of her pale skin, to look at Eren for the briefest moment. They were filled to the brim with tears, and were soon accompanied by a small sob. "Mikasa, are you alright?" he asked softly, laying a hand on her shoulder. She flinched heavily under his touch before turning away from him and laying on the opposite side of his bed. The sobs became more frequent and considerably louder as her small body trembled along, in sync with the hopeless sounds.

Eren sighed; he knew what this was about, and felt so much pity for his newly adopted sister that a tear almost came to his own eyes. Gently wrapping an arm around her waist, he forced Mikasa to roll over and look at him. Her face was almost entirely covered in that same red scarf that he had wrapped around her neck just earlier that night, and tears feel freely into it. When he looked into her eyes, he was dismayed to see that not much had changed. The black orbs were filled with such crushing sadness and hopelessness that Eren almost found himself overwhelmed. It was clear to him that Mikasa was far from alright, and letting her 'get some rest', as his father had put it, wasn't going to mend the pieces of her broken soul.

She was still sad, still scared, still lonely, and she was still suffering. Eren gently laid his head down besides hers, so that they were face-to-face and gave her a small smile. He couldn't tell if she smiled back, due to her mouth being hidden by the scarf, but her eyes told him all he needed to know. It was hard for Eren, someone who he now realized had lived an extremely privileged life, to imagine what scenes of horror must have been dancing around in her head, just under the cover of those teary black eyes.

"Shh," he whispered gently, tucking a lock of her soft and silky black hair behind her ear. All Eren wanted was for Mikasa to be cured of the tragedy that had forsaken her at such a young age. He wanted her to be freed from whatever memories she had of her kidnappers, and to never again have to relive the moment she had lost her family. Never, ever again. He had saved her once, and he'd save her again. She looked at him before her eyes slammed shut and a muffled sob passed the red piece of fabric around her neck.

Eren gently reached out and pulled the scarf under her neck, so that he could see her face. It was swollen and red from her cries, and he wondered just how long Mikasa had been in this state.

"You really are quite beautiful," he told her with a small smile, watching as the redness in her face deepened in a blush. "Mikasa," he whispered, "you don't have to worry anymore, okay? Nothing is going to hurt you." He could see the expression on her face changing, becoming slightly less troubled. "You're safe here with us. Those men-" he cut himself off. "Those _monsters _won't hurt anyone else, either." Speaking for the first time since he'd wrapped her in that scarf, Mikasa's voice was barely above a whisper.

"I just want my mom and dad. I just want to go home..." the girl's voice broke. More tears accompanied her heartbreaking words. Eren pulled her tight against his chest in a hug.

"You're _my_ family now," he told her, "and this is your home now, if you want it to be." Her tearful black eyes met his kind and inviting turquoise ones, and Eren could see the difference in her expression. She was still sad, and she still missed her old life. That was something that only time would heal. But, in that instant, Eren saw the hopelessness and, above all, the loneliness melt from her young face. She leaned in closer to his chest, head buried against his ribcage, as the slow and steady sound of his heartbeat lulled her to sleep.

Eren watched as her conscious was freed from the horrors and pains of a very merciless word, and smiled over how at ease she looked curled up against him like that. What she needed was a friend, someone to protect her from the painful memories that had been branded on her innocent mind, and he knew that he could give her that much.


	2. The Fight

**Pair:** Eremika

**Setting:** Canon universe, after some fight post-chapter 50

**Summary:** Mikasa is seriously injured in a fight, and Eren does some soul-searching

**Rating:** T for angst and language

All Eren could see when he looked down were the scars.

Against the especially pale skin of the broken girl laying in front of him, the marks were bold and loud, and they taunted him with a vicious, gleeful, malicious intent. They laughed and they mocked, they called him names.

Useless.

Weak.

Pathetic.

Failure.

They grew into bruises and scrapes, as they spread over her body, becoming stronger, more prominent, more pronounced, with each passing second Eren had to endure their cruel sense of accomplishment.

"It's your fault," they said. "You promised her that you'd protect her. You promised that you'd keep us away. But you didn't, did you? Because you're weak. Because you can't save her. She's the one that saves you, isn't she? That's how it's always been. That's how it always will be."

The labored sound of their victim's feeble attempts to breathe were especially loud in the dimly lit, wooden room. Eren held her hand in his, waiting and praying that soon he would get a response from her, that she'd grab him in return, just to show that she had made some progress - _any_ progress. Just something to show him that she hadn't lost, that she hadn't stopped fighting. He got none of that, and the scars continued to smirk at him, eating away at his very soul with their weapons of guilt and suffering.

Her cheeks were flushed red, not the blush that he'd come to love so much, but a dangerous cue to inform everyone that she was running a fever. The compromise was a plain white rag placed over her forehead, to try and regulate the abnormality, but her skin was clammy and pale, not the china-pale of her _very_ white skin, but a sickly, ghostly pale - one that joined the marks parading around her face, neck, arms and legs in their dogged pursuit of both Eren's and Mikasa's misery.

Another shallow breath was expelled from her mouth in a tired sigh, one that sounded like she hadn't slept in one-thousand years. A single tear fell from Eren's turquoise-green eye, as he brushed her bangs, wet and pressed against her skull from sweat, away from her temple, revealing the only scar that belonged there. He had caused that one too, and every time it looked at him, it stuck daggers into his heart. He ran his finger over it, trying to silence the mark's laughter, but it didn't stop - it would never stop. Just because he was careless, Mikasa would always bear marks that would never fully heal, never give her a relief from the shame of being branded in such a way.

"Damn it," Mikasa, he whispered, the tears now streaming down his face and landing on hers, mixing in with the sweat. He hunched over in despair, so that his forehead was mere centimeters from hers, his eyes closed and leaking the physical manifestation of his guilt and self-loathing. "I'm sorry," he said. "If I had only kept my promise..."

The scars were right. He was nothing. Eren might have been a hero to humanity, but he was a villain to Mikasa. He had done nothing but hurt her since the very beginning, and yet he couldn't walk away. It was his own selfishness that kept them together. He could walk away. He could leave now, and pray every day that she got better, but he didn't. He couldn't. He was too attached. He needed her too much. He was nothing but bad to the woman he loved, yet he knew he'd never do what was best for her.

"I'm sorry," he said again.

Eren didn't move from that spot until he felt something, the faintest, tiniest, weakest inkling of acknowledgement from the broken girl: a slight tightening of her hands, conjoining with him for the first time, and an almost invisible curling of her lips upward to tell him without words,

"Yes, I'll fight for you. And I'll win, no matter what."


	3. Christmas With The Jaegers

**Pair: **Eremika, Aruani

**Setting:**Canon universe, post-series

**Summary: Christmas morning with the Jaeger and Arlert families**

**Rating: **T for language

**Note: Contains OC headcanons**

"Izzie, that's no fair!" the brown-haired boy yelled, stamping his feet into the crusty and sparkling white ice-crystals under his boots. A girl stood up in irritation, her skin flushed red from the low temperature of the winter weather. Izumi, or Izzie as her youngest brother usually called for the sole purpose of annoying her, was the spitting image of her mother. She had long raven-black hair that fell down well past her shoulders, eyes a slightly lighter color of black, and china-pale white skin. She was also the oldest, though not by much – a little less than two years after she had come, she was followed by twin brothers, Makoto and Garret, born two minutes apart.

Makoto, the younger of the two, was to Eren what Izumi was to Mikasa: his father's mirror image. His hair was short and brown, his eyes the same shade of turquoise, and his skin far darker than Izumi's. Garret, the middle child, was an even mix of both parents. He wore his dark brown hair slightly longer than Makoto. His eyes were dark, though closer to grey than his mother's black, and had the same complexion as Eren. His face was shaped angular, like Mikasa's, but the features on it looked like his father's.

"Don't call me 'Izzie'," Izumi said, her black eyes flashing with annoyance. "That's not my name."

"And what are you going to do about it if I do?" Izumi's hand went in the snow under her and she pulled out a large fistful of it, which she packed into a snowball, juggling it from one hand to the other.

"Anything I want," was her response. "I'm a lot stronger than you." A smirk formed on her face as her brother's blue-green eyes lit up with that oh-so-familiar anger they'd all become accustomed to.

"No _girl_ is stronger than me!" Makoto snapped, turning his gaze to his brother, who was lying down in the snow. "C'mon, Garret, we can beat her." One of Garret's grey eyes opened, and he sighed.

"What makes you think this time will be any different?"

"Stop being so lazy!" Makoto snapped. His brother groaned, but stood up.

"Fine."

The war stared when the pile of snow in Izumi's hand hit her youngest and loudest brother directly in the face.

"Eren," Mikasa said, brushing the curtain to their backyard windows aside as she watched Izumi brutally assault both her brothers with a barrage of snowballs, "do you think that making Makoto a toy sword for Christmas was a good idea?" Eren shrugged his wife's worry off.

"He's fine," he replied. "You know how much he loves those stories Garret's always reading about the Titans." Mikasa frowned at him.

"I don't think any child should be exposed to that, much less _your_ son." Eren looked up from the newspaper he was glancing over, his eyebrows raised.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I think you can guess," she replied, moving back over to the kitchen sink with the intention of cleaning the dishes soaking in it. Eren stood up and walked over to Mikasa and blocked her path to it. "Eren, stop it," she complained. "I want to get done before Armin and Annie get here." Her husband's face contorted into a grin and he reached out to grab her, but he shoved him away, refusing to play his games.

"I wish you could hear how much you sound like my mother right now."

"I can relate to her a lot more these days, believe m-" Eren's arm wrapped her hip and he pulled Mikasa tight against his body. Before should she bring herself to still be annoyed, her emotions overcame her irritation and Mikasa's hands traced the contours of his broad chest gingerly before going around his neck and pulling herself up against his lips. When Mikasa pulled back and looked into his turquoise eyes, her heart rate spiked and a smile tugged at her lips. His forehead pressed against hers and his lips grazed the tip of her nose.

"I never get tired of that blush," he breathed, grinning as Mikasa's usually-pale cheeks deepened even more so.

Seeing her smile like that, or just look that happy in general, was something that Eren had always thought he'd never see what felt like a lifetime ago. But their peace had come, and he had been more than grateful to put that part of his life behind him, to give Mikasa what she had always wanted: a family. That was something he'd never take for granted and, as much as both of them wished that their children had grandparents to share the holidays with, they were more than content with the life they had created.

"Now," Eren smiled, looking down into her glowing black orbs, "do you care to explain what you meant by Makoto being my son?"

Suddenly, the front door flew open.

"Take your boots off _before_ you track snow all over the floor this time," Eren said, not looking up from his wife's black eyes.

"Oh, yes, _Daddy,_" a sarcastic voice responded, followed by the sound of a girl giggling.

"Don't be a smartass, Armin. Otherwise, you can get the hell out of my house." Grinning, Eren turned his eyes to the _very_ blond sight now standing in their doorway. Armin, Annie and their ten-year-old daughter Emily. The girl was golden-haired and, like both her parents, had blue eyes. They were closer to the color of Annie's, but were always wide and inquisitive, like Armin. She had also inherited her mother's considerably large nose, but, according to her father, that was one of her most endearing traits. Emily carelessly left her winter clothing strewn all over the floor and Annie fixed her with a "look" that put anything Mikasa could manage to shame. As if she could sense the daggers drilling into the back of her head, the young girl turned around.

"Sweetheart," Armin said, noticing the glare on his wife's face, "I know that you're excited, but you should probably pick those up before your Mommy goes off on one." Emily quickly did as she asked, before rushing away.

"The kids are outside," Mikasa told the young blonde, knowing that she was looking for Izumi. "I'll go call them in." She untangled herself from Eren's arms, making her way to the back door. Armin, Eren and Annie followed Emily into the family room. The two blonds sat next to each other on the sofa, though it seemed now that Armin's words had pissed Annie off, as she was wearing her characteristic glare and staring forward, refusing to look at him. Armin placed his arms around her shoulder, but it wasn't until Emily intervened that Annie's demeanor seemed to lighten a bit. The little girl crawled up into her mothers lap and gave her a wide-eyed frown.

"Don't be mad, okay, Mommy?" she asked her, burying her head into Annie's abdomen. When she looked down at her daughter, a small smile traced her lips and she ran her fingers though the child's golden hair.

"Yeah, Annie," Eren suddenly interjected, his voice intentionally obnoxious. "We don't need all that sexual tension on Christmas." In an instant, Annie's glower returned.

"Shut the fuck up." Mikasa, standing in the entryway to the room cleared her throat loudly and fixed the blonde woman in a glare, warning her to watch her language as three dark-haired children ran past her. Mikasa made her way out to the kitchen to check on the large family meal she'd be working on since early that morning and the three siblings spread out on the floor in front of the decorated tree, comparing their gifts. Emily climbed off Annie's lap and joined Izumi as the rest of the adults followed Mikasa out to the kitchen.

"What did you get?" Emily asked Garret, who looked up from the book he was already immersed in with a somewhat annoyed glare.

"What?" Emily just laughed at him; she understood how he was when he was reading something and managed to deduce from his reaction that the book had been his gift.

"Eren," Armin said, looking in the other room as Makoto pulled out his gift, a wooden replica of the Titan-killing swords they had used all those years ago and brandished it to the girls, "you made Makoto a toy sword? Have you gone off the deep end?"

"Let him be a kid," Eren brushed Armin off just like he had Mikasa. "They can all hold their own against him, even if he does have a sword."

"If he touches Emily with that thing," Annie spoke up, her expression bored as she watched the children, "she'll kick his ass and I won't be stopping her." Eren looked at her for several seconds.

"Annie, have I ever told you how much you liven up the party every time you so much as set foot in this house?" At that, the tea Armin had been in the middle of drinking shot out his nose as he broke into laughter. His wife fixed him in an irritated glare, but he just gave her a sheepish little grin.

"Lighten up, Annie," he told her, leaning in and placing a kiss on the tip of her nose. "We came here to have a nice Christmas, not argue." Back in the family room, Izumi was beaming at her friend as she showed her something.

"My mom made me this," Izumi said, referring to the red scarf that she still hadn't taken off. "It she'd matches the one that Dad gave her when they were kids." Mikasa heard the conversation from the other room and smiled to herself, though she didn't wear her scarf as often as she used to. It would always mean the world to her and it would always remind her of the first time she met Eren, but she just didn't need it anymore. Eren was hers, he'd always be hers, and he'd given her the family she'd desired since the day she'd lost hers. The scarf didn't quite carry the weight and level of attachment it once had, but Mikasa knew that was for the best. She had four precious lives to live for now rather than one, and she wouldn't trade it for the world.


	4. I Love You

**Pairing** Eremika

**Setting:** Canon universe, post-series.

**Prompt:** Eren and Mikasa are married and have a young daughter and Mikasa is pregnant with their second child. Eren is forced to go on a military mission while Mikasa has to stay back, and Eren doesn't come back alive. Mikasa has to explain their daughter what happened and raises the children on her own, and maybe she never remarries even though there are like 1,000 guys that want her.

**Rating**: K

**Note:** Request on Tumblr, involves character death.. This thing emotionally killed me to write, but yeah, it's my first attempt at both a character death, and a request. I hope it's what you wanted, to the anon that requested it :)

Mikasa watched as Izumi reached around her new husband's neck and kissed him. The look in her daughter's black eyes was so familiar to Mikasa, though it was something that she herself hadn't felt in years. Still, she was happy for Izumi – love was a feeling that everyone deserved to experience, however fleeting it may be. As the ceremony ended and people began to file out of the building, Mikasa stood back, watching the newlyweds greet the many guests that had appeared. Suddenly, she felt an arm on her shoulder.

"Hey Mikasa," Armin said, gently wrapping his arm around her neck and pulling his old friend into a hug. "Are you okay?" That was hard for her to answer. Today had brought many feelings to the front of her mind, and not all of them were quite as happy as the pride she felt for her daughter.

"I think so," she said, giving him a small smile. "Thank you though, Armin" she added. "I really appreciate you walking her down the aisle today." The blond gave Mikasa a familiar, kind smile.

"It was an honor. You know you guys are like family to me,." He paused for a few seconds "And I'm sure Eren would have wanted the same." His voice was very soft.

"I"m sure," she agreed quietly, as her black eyes focused on the ground in front of her. It was hard for Mikasa to believe that it had been twelve years since she'd last seen him, and she'd never forget it. With an eight-year-old daughter and being pregnant again, Mikasa had long since retired from the military. So had Eren, but one day Jean and Connie, who apparently had yet to settle down at the time, came by and they asked him for help.

Eren had been hesitant, not wanting to leave Mikasa behind in the state she was in, but their old friends had assured him that it was short-term, and he'd be home in a matter of months, in time to see Mikasa well before the new baby came. Eventually, he had agreed and the last thing he'd ever told his wife was not to worry and he'd be home before she knew it. With one final "I love you", Eren had left Mikasa and their daughter forever.

Eren did indeed come home, as he had promised he would, but it was among the dead. The news had hit her hard, but she had remained as composed as she could, for her daughter's sake. In reality, her world had been ripped apart. But she couldn't act weak in front of Izumi, and she never had. After what Eren and Mikasa had survived as children, Eren had left her with one final gift. One month after the news of his death arrived, Mikasa had been blessed with two more babies – twin boys. Unable to ever fully come to terms with the fact that Eren was gone, Mikasa had never remarried, but she had raised her family to the best of her ability with help from Armin quite often.

Now, her oldest was getting married. Time had passed so quickly. As she watched Izumi, looking very beautiful in her new dress, a single tear fell from her eye, which she wiped away quickly, but not quickly enough to avoid Armin's notice. His own blue orbs looked upward at the sky, as the wind picked up gently, caressing both their faces.

"You two should both be very proud," he murmured, giving Mikasa one last squeeze before moving away. As if acting on his words, the sky reached out with it's invisible fingers, gently tugging on the ancient, faded red scarf Mikasa still wore around her neck, tickling her face with the frayed edges before throwing the lose ends around her head again, wrapping it tighter. A small chuckle passed her lips.

"You never _did_ know how to tie a scarf, did you, Eren?" Still, as annoying as it felt to have the scarf wrapped around her face and a very uneven angle, Mikasa didn't have the heart to touch it. This was his only was of telling her "I love you", and she wholeheartedly believe it wasn't nature, but a loving father and husband.

As much Mikasa loved and missed Eren and wanted nothing in the world more than to see him one last time, she knew that he was looking out for all of them. For her, for Izumi, for Armin, for the sons he'd never met – Eren would always be a part of them, and knowing that was enough for Mikasa to await the day that they would meet again, in another life.


End file.
